Combination condiment dispenser

ABSTRACT

In the field of combination dispensers emitting condiments from the bottom of the containers operating automatically without moving parts, the use of rounded, half-rounded and steepled and half-rounded and obtunded components to shield and block the interior condiment outlet passages when shaking for the other condiment and funnel-shaped closures for scooping up errant, improperly emitted condiments.

Applicant was granted on Dec. 11, 1956 U.S. Pat. No. 2,773,628 for a combination condiment dispenser incorporating improvements different from those disclosed in this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Before the grant of applicant's prior patent in 1956, condiment dispensers generally consisted of two separate shakers, each of which the user turned over to dispense condiment, or, if the condiment was dispensed from the bottom of the container without turning over, relied on moving parts such as valves, push buttons and the like largely ineffective because of clogging by the whirling condiment within the condiment chamber.

Applicant's prior patent combined into one container two chambers for two different condiments, operating automatically, without moving parts, eliminating the clogging problem, the need for two separate condiment containers and most of the necessary hand-reaching and wrist movement for their use and still retaining the desirable feature of dispensing the condiment from the bottom of the container.

Applicant's present application, incorporated into an effectively working model, retains all the aforesaid advantages and makes further improvements over his prior patent grant.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The claimed invention combines within one container two separate chambers for the dispensing of two different condiments or other granular substances from the ends or bottom of the container automatically, without moving parts or the intervention of any hand, wrist, or other body exertion except for the simple turning over of the container when the condiment desired by the user is in the upper chamber it shares the aforesaid advantages with applicant's prior patent grant, but greatly increases its operating efficiency by means of the new improvements and accomplishes a far better operating result as well as reducing necessary parts to a maximum of three (the container 1 and the two closures 2 and 2′) instead of the six shown in the drawings in applicant's prior patent grant.

THE VIEWS IN THE DRAWING

The same reference numeral is used throughout the drawings. Similar parts located in different portions of the invention bear the same designation numerals but with the numerals in one part primed with respect to the numerals in the other part.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the complete shaker with supports 6 and 6′ and ball shaped components 5 and 5′.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the supports 6 and 6′ with, as an alternative, a half-rounded, half-steepled components 10 and 10′.

FIG. 3 is also a side elevation of the supports 6 and 6′ with, as another alternative, a half-rounded, half-obtunded component 11 and 11′.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is applied to the dispensing of salt, pepper, other condiments and granular substances.

It consists of a container 1, open-ended on each end, divided internally into two chambers 3 and 3′ by partition 8 and 8′. Each end of the container is closed with a closure 2 and 2′ which are funnel-shaped, its widest opening being at each end of the container and its narrower end leading into the interior of each chamber 3 and 3′, ending with the apertures 4 and 4′.

In each chamber, a round ball 5 and 5′ in FIG. 1, or, as an alternative, a half-rounded and half-steepled component 10 and 10′ in FIG. 2, or, as a further alternative, a half-rounded and half obtunded component 11 and 11′ in FIG. 3 are secured in place by supports 6 and 6′ proximately and in alignment with the interior apertures 4 and 4′ in each chamber.

OPERATION OF THE INVENTION

If the condiment desired by the user is the salt which at the time happens to be in the lower chamber 3 of the container 1, the user must only shake the container, vertically or obliquely, the upward movement of which will precipitate the salt from its resting place upon the closure 2 within the salt chamber 3 to the interior open end 4 of closure 2 and be dispensed through said interior open end upon the food to be seasoned by force of gravity and the user's return or counter-shake of the container.

Salt precipitated to a higher position within the salt chamber by the user's vigourous shaking of the container will descend into a resting position on closure 2 within the salt chamber and not into the interior open end 4 of closure 2, being diverted, as it descends, by means of the blocking or shielding action of the ball-shaped components 5 and 5′ or the rounded underbody 7 and 7′ of the steepled 10 and 10′ or obtunded 11 and 11′ components, the three latter of which being of a diameter approximately the same as or greater than the interior open ends 4 and 4′ of closures 2 and 2′ and situated within the chambers 3 and 3′ proximately and in alignment with the interior open ends 4 and 4′ of closures 2 and 2′.

The rounded “lower” surfaces 7 and 7′ of all three types of components, 5, 10 and 11, as the condiment descends in the chambers after shaking, will cause the condiment to spread out and slide to the sides of the chambers 3 and 3′ away from the interior open ends 4 and 4′ and not into the open ends 4 and 4′ of the closures 2 and 2′ and be improperly emitted. During the user's aforesaid salt-shaking action, the pepper or other granular substance in the pepper chamber 3′, then situated above, will likewise be precipitated upward but not improperly emitted through the open end 4′ of pepper chamber 3′ because of the same shielding or blocking action of the pepper support 6′ and its rounded 5′, steepled 10′ obtunded 11′ components, the latter three of which being of a diameter approximately the same as or greater than the interior open end 4′ of the pepper closure 2′ and situated within the pepper chamber proximately and in alignment with the interior open end 4′ of closure 2′.

If the condiment desired by the user is in the upper or pepper chamber, the user must only turn the container over, hold the same over the food to be seasoned and the shaking method of operation described in the preceding paragraphs of this specification with respect to the salt chamber repeated, whereby the same shielding and blocking action, the same spreading out and sliding of the condiment to the side of the container chambers by the rounded “lower” surfaces of all three types of post ends, the user's counter or return stroke, the same scouping action of the funnel-shaped container closures and the force of gravity will produce the same result for the pepper as for the salt.

In the unlikely event salt or pepper should inadvertently be emitted when the user is shaking for the other, the wide, funnel-shaped exterior ends of closures 2 and 2′ of the container will scoup up the errant condiment which will then be returned to the proper chamber on the user's return or counter-shake of the container and the force of gravity.

For best results, (a) the rounded, steepled and obtunded components 5, 5′, 10, 10′ and 11, 11′ should be hard, smooth and glassy-surfaced and made of a material likely to repel and to not attract condiment residue and prevent condiment from clinging to said components and supports 6 and 6′, and (b) the condiment chambers should not be filled higher than any part of the aforesaid components, and (c) filling of the condiment chambers may be done through the exterior funnel closures without removal of the closures as well as by their removal.

The improvements herein are different from and exceed prior art in the field of combination condiment dispensers, including applicant's prior patent disclosure, by the substitution of the simple supports 6 and 6′ and the component varieties 5, 10 and 11 for the cap or baffle 13 and its intricate, clogging supports on tubes 11 and 11′ (not shown in the drawings in applicant's prior patent), which improvements, in the snowstorm of salt and pepper flying helter skelter within the condiment chambers, produces a result highly efficient in actual, working operation, the prevention of errant, not-wanted condiment discharges on the food or the user's table from the condiment chamber not in use, greatly simplifies the dispenser's manufacture and the assembly of the product through the elimination of at least three parts of applicant's prior patent grant plus the bend or twist in the tubes 11 and 11′, and still retaining the desirable feature of condiment emission from the bottom of the container. 

1) A combination condiment dispenser comprising a container partitioned to provide separate condiment chambers, closure means mounted on opposite ends of the container provided with inwardly extending, centrally disposed outlet passages, a ball-shaped component, secured within each chamber, whose diameter is approximately the same as or greater than that of the aforesaid inwardly extending, centrally disposed outlet passages and which are situated proximately and in alignment with the aforesaid inwardly extending, centrally disposed outlet passages. 2) A combination dispenser comprising a container partitioned to provide separate condiment chambers, closure means mounted on opposite ends of the container provided with inwardly extending, centrally disposed outlet passages, a half-rounded component, steepled on the opposite side, secured within each chamber, whose diameter is approximately the same as or greater than that of the aforesaid inwardly extending, centrally disposed outlet passages and which are situated proximately and in alignment with the aforesaid inwardly extending, centrally disposed outlet passages. 3) A combination condiment dispenser comprising a container partitioned to provide separate condiment chambers, closure means mounted on opposite ends of the container provided with inwardly extending, centrally disposed outlet passages, a half-rounded component, obtunded on the opposite side, secured within each chamber, whose diameter is approximately the same as or greater than that of the aforesaid inwardly extending, centrally disposed outlet passages and which are situated proximately and in alignment with the aforesaid inwardly extending, centrally disposed outlet passages. 4) A combination condiment dispenser comprising a container partitioned to provide separate condiment chambers, closure means mounted on opposite ends of the container provided with inwardly extending, centrally disposed outlet passages whose exterior shape provides an integrated, outwardly expanding, funnel-shaped outlet passage, a ball shaped component, or a half-rounded component steepled on the opposite side, or a half-rounded component obtunded on the opposite side whose diameters are approximately the same as or greater than that of the aforesaid inwardly extending, centrally disposed outlet passages and which are situated proximately and in alignment with the aforesaid inwardly extending, centrally disposed outlet passages. 